La Leche League of Missouri 2006 Area Conference
Breastfeeding:
The Basics and Beyond

Conference Workgroup

Conference To Do List

Conferences are wonderful, exciting, educational, entertaining, and inspiring! But sometimes so much wonder, excitement, education, entertainment, and inspiration can also be exhausting. The following hints will help in your planning.

The Week Before the Conference

Do laundry a few days early and then wear your less-than-favorite clothes the day or two before the conference. Save another outfit for each person to wear Monday morning after the conference. You don’t want to have to do laundry immediately upon arriving home!

Hide some small, quiet toys so they’ll be new again to your child when you take them out at the conference.

Freeze a casserole that you can pop into the oven for Sunday night. It can heat while you unload the car or nurse your baby. You WON’T feel like cooking when you get home.

Sleep as much as you can and don’t let your baby skip naps this week.

Packing

Plan to dress for the job you’ll be doing. Some people (mostly speakers) will be wearing “church” clothes. If you’ll be sitting on the floor with your child, dress accordingly. Many mothers prefer pants and long tops. The long tops are great for discreet nursing. Whatever you wear, be sure it’s comfortable!

Clothes with pockets are handy for your room key. The keys will sink to the very bottom of your diaper/toy bag.

Wear layers. Hotel meeting rooms are notorious for unpredictable temperatures. You’ll definitely want your legs covered---long skirt, pants, tights. Bring layers for your child, too.

Remember swimsuits. The hotel has both indoor and outdoor pools. They expect both to be open.

Walking babies must wear shoes. The hotel vacuums sometimes miss a random staple embedded in the carpet. We don’t want your baby’s tender feet to find it! Likewise, crawling babies should have their knees covered.

Bring a floor blanket for a very young baby.

Pack your nightlight and a flashlight.

Bring any medicines your family routinely uses or may be likely to use.

Bring whatever non-messy, non-crumbly snack your child likes. We haven’t yet found a Cheerio vending machine!

Pack small, quiet, losable toys in several bags. Rotate the bags throughout the weekend.

Bring your sling. Or buy one at the conference Boutique.

Bring your Womanly Art of Breastfeeding to be autographed by Founder Marian Tompson.

Many families like to bring milk, juice, and breakfast foods or snacks in a cooler.

Plan extra money for the Silent Auction and Boutique. See below.

At the Conference

Leave your stroller in the car for off-site sightseeing. Strollers are not allowed in the conference area. (It would be worse than the LA freeway at rush hour!) If you see someone with a stroller, it means she has special permission because of extenuating circumstances. It does not mean the “no strollers” rule has been waived for everyone.

Children at conference meals must be in a chair or on your lap. The wait-staff can’t always see over their heavily-laden trays to sidestep small children or pumpkin seats on the floor.

Be sure that you and your child eat regularly and nutritiously. No grumbling tummies or grumbling people allowed. 

One child eats free with each adult breakfast purchased in Picadilly’s, the hotel breakfast restaurant.  The hotel’s Sport Zone has a kids’ menu for lunch and dinner.  Sport Zone is run by an outside company so the Holiday Inn “Kids Eat Free” doesn’t apply, but the restaurant is very kid-friendly according to the hotel management.

Hotel ventilation systems are dehydrating. DRINK!!

All that learning can wear a person out and a tired person is a cranky person. No fun! If you or your child get worn out, take a break! A nap will make the rest of the conference much more enjoyable.

Attending Sessions

If you’ve never attended a La Leche League Conference before, you’ll be astounded at how much adult learning can go on with so many babies and children around!  You’ll also be astounded by how little crying you hear. The key is very active parenting!

At this conference, and at any other time, the most important thing you can do is tend to the needs of your child. Therefore expect that you will probably miss some parts of some sessions or maybe even an entire session.  But that’s okay. Many Groups have follow-up enrichment meetings which are a sharing of the wonderful things everyone learned. You’ll get what you missed and MORE!

If your child gets loud, please leave the session, and go burn some energy or rest. When your child has settled, you’re welcome to return. Speakers understand and will not be offended. Your fellow audience members will be very appreciative.

When you’re at the pool, in the playroom, or at lunch, talk to the other parents. We’ve sometimes learned more in the playroom than we would have in the session we ended up missing!

You registered for your first and second choice sessions. We ask for that information so we can put the most popular sessions in the biggest rooms. It also gives speakers an idea of how many handouts they’ll need. If you find that your needs/interests have changed since you registered, it’s okay to switch sessions. Please just be sure not to overfill a room or take a handout until everyone else has one.

Reminder: Parents of “babies-on-the-go” will want to plan to attend the sessions marked “CE” (Continuing Education) during times their babies are likely to be very quiet. Due to the more technical nature of these sessions, they require a deeper level of concentration. It’s important to be considerate of fellow audience members.

Decide ahead of time which session you most want to hear each day. Go WAY out of your way to meet your child’s needs during the hour prior to that session. Half an hour in the swimming pool will often get their wiggles out and prepare them to breastfeed or play quietly during your important session.

Silent Auction and Boutique

These are great places to pick up unique, bargain gifts! You may also find items to entertain your child in the later sessions or in the car on the way home if the toys you brought are getting “old.”

Silent Auction items are donated and frequently sell for well below their retail value. Different tables close at different times, so pay attention to the signs! People who bring items for the auction will receive a 20% of the proceeds of their item back after the conference to help defray their costs of attending.

Remember, all the money you spend goes to LLL, so you’re not only getting neat stuff, you’re supporting a worthwhile cause. What a deal!

After the Conference

Monday---Play with your baby and REST!!! (And maybe do laundry.)

Tuesday---Reread your notes and handouts. Highlight information you want to share with your spouse or at the enrichment meetings. File carefully along with the program book. (The program book is handy in case you need to know the name of a speaker later because you have a follow-up question.)

Start planning for the next conference!

Previous: Speakers| Next: Conference Bookstore Information
Print Conference Booklet
Join the Missouri Breastfeeding Information Network hosted by
La Leche League of Missouri

The mission of La Leche League International is to help mothers worldwide to breastfeed through mother-to-mother support, encouragement, information and education, and to promote a better understanding of breastfeeding as an important element in the healthy development of the baby and the mother.

The La Leche League logo is a registered trademark of La Leche League International.
Used with permission. Last modified 09/22/07 10:18:41 AM

For problems, questions or comments related to this website, please contact the webmaster, Nikki Simmons.  For conference questions, please contact, Jan Benne.  For breastfeeding help click here to contact an Accredited Leader.